The National University of Singapore began as a medical school with 23 students in 1905, founded by a group of businessmen led by Tan Jiak Kim. It describes itself as Singapore’s flagship university. It has three campuses: Kent Ridge, Bukit Timah and Outram.
NUS has 15 colleges, faculties and schools, 37 university-level research institutes and centres, and six Research Centres of Excellence. For Academic Year 2025/26 it reports 29,600 undergraduates and 15,400 graduate students, with 2,700 faculty, 4,800 research staff, 4,700 executive and professional staff and 1,200 administrative staff. The President is Prof Tan Eng Chye, and Prof Aaron Thean is Deputy President and Provost.